By Fiona Macrae
A "female Viagra" that works on the pleasure centre of a woman's brain to restore flagging libido could be on sale within two years.
Women who take flibanserin once a day make love more often and enjoy it more, large-scale trials have shown.
The pill proved so popular that its German manufacturers are poised to apply for permission to sell it across Europe, meaning it could be on British bedside tables by 2011.
With up to a quarter of women suffering from low libido, it is predicted to be at least as successful as Viagra, with worldwide sales topping £2-billion a year.
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Like Viagra, which was originally designed to treat heart problems, flibanserin was formulated with another purpose in mind.
It was created as an anti-depressant. However, those taking part in trials said it did nothing to boost their mood but did wonders for their sex drive.
Trials involving almost 2 000 women with low libido have now confirmed its worth as an aphrodisiac.
After taking the drug, the women made love 60 percent more often and also found it more satisfying. They also felt less stressed about their sex lives, the European Society for Sexual Medicine's annual conference heard yesterday.
The drug works directly on the brain's pleasure zones, correcting levels of the chemicals involved in generating feelings of desire.
Researcher Dr Elaine Jolly said: "By modulating these systems, flibanserin may help to restore a balance between inhibitory and excitatory factors, leading to a healthy sexual response."
However, it takes several weeks for the effect to build up, meaning it cannot simply be "popped" on demand.
It also has side-effects, with up to one in eight of the women in the trials dropping out with dizziness, fatigue and sleep problems.
It is not known yet how much it will cost, but is unlikely to be widely prescribed by a Health Service struggling to find cash to fund treatment of life-threatening illnesses.
Some doctors are also sceptical about the need for pills to boost female sex drive.
But Paula Hall, of Relate, said: "Female loss of libido is a big problem and it is not going away. It can cause problems within a relationship and affect self-esteem.
"This research is really quite exciting for women with loving partners whose loss of libido is a physical thing. But it is not going to fix a broken relationship or help with looking after the kids or cleaning the house." - Daily Mail
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